Why is it that in the case of the F4F, the Zeke, and the F4U (which are all navy fighters), they have more hitpoints, firepower, maneuverability AND speed than their pure-fighter counterparts (the P40, P51, and the german equivalents I forgot to mention)?

Is it only on paper? Or what?

If it's meant to balance out the penalty for carrying bombs - the problem is they aren't *forced* to carry bombs, meaning any carrier fighter that doesn't carry bombs instantly becomes a plane that outclasses *anything* in its tier.

At least, on paper.

Sure, every plane only performs as well as its pilot - but I think that there's a significant imbalance happening here.

I'd recommend nerfing the naval fighters (SLIGHTLY!!!) to bring them back to normal initial specs, and reduce the penalties in speed/maneuverability for carrying any bombs.

It's possible this is just my misperception; it's also possible this has been extended to all of the naval fighter variants - I haven't done my research on all of them yet. All I know for sure is that these specific planes don't seem to weigh evenly on paper (or in game, really).

If the game model holds true for the real life counterparts, the navy planes you mention are part of the infamous Grumman "Iron Works" which designed and produced very tough and capable fighter aircraft. They were notorious for surviving severe damage and still getting their crew home safely. The Hellcat, Wildcat, and Corsair are part of the Iron Works. The Hellcat from historical records (pilots who actually flew them) say it is better than the Corsair in all out performance, but not by a huge margin.

The P51-D mustang was probably the best all-around fighter for the US in WWII. The Rolls Royce engine made it a screamer, and the six 50 cal. guns gave it incredible firepower. Not to discount any of the Grumman fighters. One fighter that is not available is the P-47 thunderbolt, which had the toughness of the Corsair and Hellcat, matched with amazing firepower and performance. At any rate, the toughness of the navy fighters is not overstated in my opinion.